Apple seeks injunctions against OpenAI in trade secrets suit
Apple alleges a rare bug let a former engineer keep server access for weeks after leaving for OpenAI.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
2 min read
Apple has taken OpenAI to court, accusing the company of benefiting from confidential Apple information allegedly taken by former employees. The case matters because Apple is asking for court orders that would restrict OpenAI’s use of the material at issue.
In a lawsuit filed Friday, Apple sought several injunctions aimed at preventing OpenAI from using confidential information that Apple says was stolen by former workers. Apple’s complaint alleges that OpenAI worked with former Apple employees in a plan to speed development of AI-powered devices that could compete for the kind of consumer appeal associated with the iPhone.
What Apple alleges
According to Apple’s complaint, the dispute centers in part on Chang Liu, an engineer who spent eight years at Apple. Apple says Liu worked on some of its most sensitive product development programs before joining OpenAI.
Apple alleges that a rare bug temporarily allowed Liu to keep access to confidential information on Apple servers for weeks after his employment ended. The company says it discovered the issue while examining internal messages involving Yu-Ting “Alyssa” Peng, who was then an Apple employee, and Liu.
The complaint describes the alleged conduct as part of a broader effort by OpenAI and former Apple employees to gain an improper advantage. Apple claims the goal was to help OpenAI build a line of AI-powered devices without doing the work independently.
Requested court action
Apple is seeking penalties and injunctions, according to the complaint. The requested injunctions would bar OpenAI from using Apple’s confidential information that Apple alleges was taken by former employees.
The lawsuit frames the alleged server access as especially serious because Liu had worked on closely held product development projects. Apple says the bug kept access open only temporarily, but long enough for Liu to reach confidential information after his termination.
Apple’s claims remain allegations in a newly filed case. The complaint lays out Apple’s account of the internal investigation, the bug, the messages it reviewed and the alleged involvement of OpenAI and former Apple staff.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.